Board of Aldermen 03-16-2020 Page 28
Director Kates
Most tools can today, yeah. | know that is one of the things that we are talking about with IT is in
addition to that specific example is providing the tools out to employees to be able to a lot of remote
access.
Mayor Donchess
Could we do a Zoom meeting? Can there be a Zoom meeting?
Director Kates
Zoom or Go To Meeting — is one of the things that IT was looking at.
Mayor Donchess
We are working on that so people could participate remotely.
Alderman Dowd
So the other thing, now that they are getting all these licenses is video teleconference. Industry has
been doing it for years and that way, because if you rely on our TV system, you know, that doesn’t
work.
Director Kates
Sure.
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
The problem | think with these meetings that you are required to have or even meetings you desire to
have is they have to be open to the public and you cannot limit the number of people you can’t tell
them they have to wait so far away that they can’t hear you. You can’t bring people in one at a time to
the Zoning Board or the Planning Board. You have to admit everyone who wants to be admitted. So |
don’t think it is so much we are worried about all of you or all of us, although we are, but it’s the 50
people who may show up from the public because they are concerned that someone wants to put a
convenience store next to their house. You know, in a residential neighborhood or that sort of thing
and we don’t know how to get around that. There is no exception in 91A that would allow you to have
a Planning Board meeting and limit the number of people. So even if the whole Planning Board
participated by remote Go To Meeting or telephoning in or whatnot, you’ve still got your 50 or 100
people or whatnot of the public coming in, sitting shoulder to shoulder, in those seats.
Mayor Donchess
So the way to do it is if you can find a way to do it legally is to cancel the meetings altogether.
